1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a damping valve with adjustable damping force. The damping valve includes a cylinder filled with damping medium. A piston rod with a piston is realized in the cylinder so that the piston rod can move axially, and the piston can divide the cylinder into two working chambers. The damping valve is located inside a housing and is realized so that it can be adjusted by means of a solenoid or magnet coil in connection with an armature guided in an insulator. A receptacle functions as part of the housing, which receptacle, by means of an insulator, separates the hydraulic part of the damping valve from the electrical part. A tube socket, together with the housing holds the adjustable damping valve.
2. Background Information
A damping valve is described in German Patent No. G 92 09 505.4, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,142. On this known damping valve, the housing of the shutoff valve device is connected in a form-fitting manner to the tube socket by means of an encircling bead. This constructive realization of the housing is possible only because a receptacle in which the armature slides, a pole or polarized tube which functions as an insulator and a magnetic core form an assembly. The assembly, in practical terms, forms the cover for the housing because the receptacle, the pole tube and the magnetic core are connected to one another in a hydraulically tight manner by means of soldered connections. One problem with this known construction is that the pole tube must be made of high-grade or high quality steel. It is well known that high-grade steel is very difficult to work. Consequently, the manufacture of the assembly is a complex, time-consuming and expensive process, because the transition between the receptacle and the pole tube may not have any extensions which have a negative effect on the sliding track for the armature.